Religion

Scripturally, and obviously, the answer is no. On the contrary, Romans 6:14 tells us that Godís grace is the power over sin.

But perhaps you know of someone who, when confronted about his or her adulterous relationship, simply said, as if it were a matter of fact, ďWell, Iím under grace, so you canít condemn me.Ē Or maybe the person has shown no desire to stop a lifestyle of sin and defends himself or herself by saying, ďGodís grace covers me.Ē

As with any truth from God, there will be a minority who misunderstand and abuse Godís amazing grace. But how do we address this problem without backing away from Godís grace? What do we say to those who use grace as a license to sin? Are these people truly living under grace in the first place?

If youíve been asking the same questions and perhaps even know of someone whoís abusing grace unashamedly, I hope that reading a bit more will bring more clarity to this issue:

If anyone is living in sin and claims that he or she is living under grace, let me be the first to tell you that this person is not living under grace. How can he or she be when Godís Word clearly states that ďsin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under graceĒ (Romans 6:14)? Based on the authority of Godís Word, a person who is under grace will not be dominated by or want to continue living in sin!

Romans 6:14 shows us that grace is what frees us from the dominion of sin. A revelation of grace will never produce a licentious lifestyle. On the contrary, it will set one free from all sorts of sinful lifestyles. Time and time again, our ministry has received praise report after praise report that have testified to thisóreal and personal stories of addictions supernaturally and permanently broken and of marriages restored to the glory of God. You can read some of them here.

My friend, you may have come across erroneous interpretations of the gospel of grace that may have put doubts in your heart about hearing and receiving Godís grace. But donít let these rob you of the treasure of the true gospel that is clearly laid out in Godís Word and of its power to set you free from a cycle of sin and defeat.

In the town of Brookings, Oregon there lived a tall thin baker named Jonathan, a righteous man, with a long thin chin and a long thin nose.  Jonathan was so upright that he seemed to spray righteousness from his thin lips over everyone who came near him; so the people of Brookings preferred to stay away from him.

Jonathan’s wife, Barbara, was short and round, her arms were round, her bosom was round, her rump was round.  Barbara did not keep people at bay with righteousness; her soft roundness seemed to invite them instead to come close to her in order to share the warm cheer of her open heart.

Barbara respected her righteous husband, and loved him too, as much as he allowed her; but her heart ached for something more from him than his worthy righteousness.

And there, in the bed of her need, lay the seed of sadness.

One morning, having worked since dawn to knead his dough for the ovens, Jonathan came home and found a stranger in his bedroom lying on Barbara’s round bosom.

Barbara’s adultery soon became the talk of the tavern and the scandal of the Brookings congregation.  Everyone assumed that Jonathan would cast Barbara out of his house, so righteous was he.  But he surprised everyone by keeping Barbara as his wife, saying he forgave her as the Good Book said he should.

In his heart of hearts, however, Jonathan could not forgive Barbara for bringing shame to his name.  Whenever he thought about her, his feelings toward her were angry and hard; he despised her as if she were a common whore.  When it came right down to it, he hated her for betraying him after he had been so good and so faithful a husband to her.

He only pretended to forgive Barbara, so that he could punish her with his righteous mercy.   But Jonathan’s fakery did not sit well in heaven.

So each time Jonathan would feel his secret hate toward Barbara, an angel came to him and dropped a small pebble, hardly the size of a shirt button, into Jonathan’s heart.  Each time a pebble dropped, Jonathan would feel a stab of pain like the pain he felt the moment he came on Barbara feeding her hungry heart with the desire for the stranger’s softness.

Thus he hated her the more; his hate brought him pain, and the pain made him hate more.

The pebbles multiplied.  And Jonathan’s heart grew very heavy with the weight of them, so heavy that the top half of his body bent forward so far that he had to strain his neck upward in order to see straight ahead.  Weary with hurt, Jonathan began to wish he were dead.

The angel who dropped the pebbles into his heart came to Jonathan one night and told him how he could be healed of his hurt.

There was one remedy, he said, only one, for the hurt of a wounded heart.  Jonathan would need the miracle of the magic eyes.  He would need eyes that could look back to the beginning of his hurt and see his Barbara, not as a wife who betrayed him, but as a weak woman who needed him.  Only a new way of looking at things through the magic eyes could heal the hurt flowing from the wounds of yesterday.

Jonathan protested.  Nothing can change the past he said.  Barbara is guilty, a fact that not even an angel can change.

Yes, poor hurting man, you are right, the angel said.  You cannot change the past, you can only heal the hurt that comes to you from the past.  And you can heal it only with the vision of the magic eyes.

And how can I get your magic eyes help pouted Jonathan?

Only ask, desiring as you ask, and they will be given you.  And each time you see Barbara through your new eyes, one pebble will be lifted from your aching heart

Jonathan could not ask at once, for he had grown to love his hatred.  But the pain of his heart finally drove him to want and to ask for the magic eyes that the angel had promised.  So he asked.  And the angel gave.

Soon Barbara began to change in front of Jonathan’s eyes, wonderfully and mysteriously.  He began to see her as a needy woman who loved him instead of a wicked woman who betrayed him.

The angel kept his promise; he lifted the pebbles from Jonathan’s heart, one by one, though it took a long time to take them all away.  Jonathan gradually felt his heart grow lighter; he began to walk straight again, and somehow his nose and his chin seemed less thin and sharp than before.   He invited Barbara to come into his heart again, and she came, and together they began again a journey into their second season of humble joy.

God’s Forgiveness – What’s Required?

The Bible gives us the costly requirement for God’s forgiveness:  “Without the shedding of Blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).  In the Old Testament, the continual sacrifices of unblemished lambs were required to satisfy God’s wrath and judgment.  However, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a Roman cross and became the ultimate, once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus purchased God’s forgiveness on our behalf when he became the Lamb of God and died on the cross for you and me.

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

God’s Forgiveness – He Paid the Price Himself

God hates sin, but He loves the sinner.  The price for God’s forgiveness is high, but He paid the price Himself.  By Christ’s loving act of grace, believers are eternally freed from the penalty and guilt of sin.  Once we’re covered by the Blood of Christ, God doesn’t keep a record of our sins.  Our forgiveness is total and complete.

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, who sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord doesn’t count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2).

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).

“It is possible for the Lord to look at us without seeing our sins because when he forgave us, he removed our sins as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

God’s Forgiveness – Once and for All!  A BELIEVER receives God’s forgiveness when he repents of sin and places his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation–ALL of his sins are forgiven FOREVER.  That includes PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, Big or Small.  Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins, and once they are forgiven, they are all forgiven (Colossians 1:14; Acts 10:43).  However, when we stumble, we are called to confess our sins – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  Yes, Christians do sin (1 John 1:8) – but the Christian life is not to be identified by a life of sin.  Believers are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  We have the Holy Spirit in us producing good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).  A Christian life should be a changed life.  A person who claims to be a believer yet continually lives a life that says otherwise should question the genuineness of his faith.  Christians are forgiven no matter how many times they sin, but at the same time, Christians should live a progressively more holy life as they grow closer to Christ.

Christians continue to sin after they are saved – we will not be free from sin until we die or Jesus comes back.  However, becoming a Christian results in a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17).  A person will go from producing the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) to producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  This change does not happen instantly, but it does happen over time.  Paul tells us, “And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Is forgiveness of sins free?

Forgiveness of sins is absolutely free to all people.  Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”  The Bible says repeatedly that salvation and the forgiveness of our sins is a gift that has been given to us from God.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”  There is no effort that man can make to earn forgiveness and no amount of money that he can pay for it either.  It is a gift given freely by God.

Acts 8:20 demonstrates the conflict we have, “Peter answered:  ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!'”  Man struggles to accept that the gift of forgiveness is truly free.  In this world, our concept has become “we give to receive” or “you only get what you pay for.”

Romans 4:4 says, “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.”  When we come to recognize that we have sinned, we also realize that a penalty has to be paid for that sin.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  All we really have to do is admit that we have sinned and then claim our free gift.

If God’s forgiveness is free – well, somebody has got to pay!  Romans 3:22-24 says, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 reiterates this statement:  “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

What is so special about man that God would send Jesus from his place of royalty in beautiful and wondrous heaven down to earth to become a lowly man and suffer persecution, pain, shame, and death as a criminal to pay the price of forgiveness for man’s sin?  We find the answer to that question in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Learning to Forgive – Forgiveness is Not Inherent

Learning to forgive implies that forgiveness is a learned process, not an automatic response.  Our sinful nature (our flesh) has a high resistance to laying offenses aside.  It prefers to take on an offense and use the energy that the offense brings with it, in every negative way.  Every part of our un-renewed mind, our carnal mind, has a preference to take on an offense and a propensity to hold grudges, and seek its own sense of justice.  Within the carnal mind, retaliation is most often not an option, but rather it’s a driving force, it has to get even! Our flesh, unrenewed, unbridled, lacking illumination and understanding, prefers to be judge, jury, and executioner of the offender even when that offender is our own self.

Learning to forgive – Christ Based

Learning to forgive can only be fully achieved after we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, otherwise we are simply acting according to our flesh.  While we can learn to “forgive and forget” on a carnal level, as a good deed, but true forgiveness comes from the Spirit of Christ within us.  Until our mind is renewed, until we are enlightened by His Holy Spirit, there remains a resistance, an enmity between us and God that will govern our every decision (Romans 12:2, Titus 3:3-5).

Learning to Forgive – Recognizing the “Old Man” Within

Learning to forgive begins with understanding what God says about forgiveness in the Bible.  Part of our learning process includes becoming aware that our flesh is truly hostile to God, that it must be brought under authority, and re-trained.  Our “old man” must be put off and a “new man” must be put on (Ephesians 4:22, 24; Colossians 3:10-25).   According to Scripture, we are the ones who must put off the old and learn of God and choose His ways.  Thankfully we are not left alone to make decisions on our own because God, our Father, has sent His Spirit to help us.  The Spirit dwells within us and teaches us (John 14:26).  God has also given us His infallible Word, the Bible to teach us how to forgive.

Learning to Forgive – A Personal Story

There was a time in my life when I was extremely angry with my father.  He had, in my opinion, done something that was beyond forgiveness.  I knew what the Bible said.  I had been taught all the reasons why we should forgive, but the reality was that I simply did not believe that forgiveness was all-encompassing.  My anger and judgment were truly taking life from me.  One day I said to the Lord, “I don’t believe You forgave him.  I don’t believe You can love him either.  He has stepped over the line!  If You love him and forgive him, show me and I will consider forgiving him too.”  My thoughts immediately were focused on an unshelled pecan.  I could almost feel the hardness of the shell, but I knew that inside of that shell the fruit was soft, pliable, and delicious.  As I continued to consider the unshelled pecan, I was suddenly impressed with the fact that the hard shell was representative of the shell that sin puts around us, while the fruit remains intact within the shell.  It is able to bear more fruit and to feed others when the shell is removed from it.

My spirit grasped what the Lord was showing me.  The shell represented my father’s hardened heart and his sin-altered lifestyle.  All of a sudden, I understood forgiveness and healing from God’s perspective.  I understood for the first time that God loved my father for who he was, not for what he had become.  God saw through the shell and His love was focused on who He had created my father to be.   God recognized that my father’s actions driven by sin.  Luke 23:34 echoed thru my head, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

I realized that I needed to separate my father’s actions from his created being and I understood that I, like Jesus, could forgive the man without excusing his actions.  All of a sudden, I didn’t need to consider if I would forgive my father, it wasn’t even a matter of when, it was an immediate response.  God used a pecan for my “learning to forgive” lesson.  He completed His process in me and I learned a lasting lesson.

I pray that the next time you see an un-cracked nut, God will use that to solidify your understanding of forgiveness, just as He did for me.  I encourage you to examine yourself.  Ask the Lord to reveal any shell that may have formed around you and, should you sense that there is one, ask Him to break it open and help you become all He created you to be!


Forgiveness – Part 5
FORGIVENESS

Ask God for these three things because:

Colossians 3:13 tells us to, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

It is very difficult to forgive when we have been wronged, and yet the writers of the New Testament urge us to do so.

The bible tells us in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

It’s important to ask God for three things:

First, ask God to enable you to forgive the person; because it’s too hard to do this on your own, therefore the reason for prayer.

Second, ask God to bless that person that has wronged you, and make the request every day even though it may be difficult to do so.  

Finally, ask God to give you an opportunity to show kindness to him or her.

These three requests to forgiveness can be hard to make, yet the three requests when not made will result in serious separation from God by His not forgiving you.

When we experience God’s forgiveness to the degree that we are willing to offer the same gift to someone else as shown in Matthew 6:14 above our relationship with God and others are restored and changed in healing ways that once again show the miraculous love and power of God through the power of the Holy Spirit and the hurtful event in time will seem as if it never happened.  What great relief this will bring you.

Prayer is the key to being able to forgive.  A loving prayer would be, “Lord, may we offer forgiveness to others for whom you have died.  Amen.


Matthew 18:21-35
The parable of the unmercible servant

21  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?   Up to seven times?”

22  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23  “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26  “The servant fell on his knees before him.  ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

27  The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28  “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him.  ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29  “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

30  “But he refused.  Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32  “Then the master called the servant in.  ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

34  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35  “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Ephesians 4:32 tell us to, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”





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Question: “How can I be saved?”

Answer: This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. “How can I be saved?” deals with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved? We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23). We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Sin is what makes us unsaved. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.

How can I be saved? Saved from what? Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).

How can I be saved? How did God provide salvation? Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.

How can I be saved? What do I need to do? “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith, the salvation God offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fully trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish (John 3:16). God is offering you salvation as a gift. All you have to do is accept it. Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6).

Billy Graham was asked and he responded

Why do we need Jesus? Isn’t it enough to believe in God?

I don’t see where Jesus fits into the picture.

Simply stated, we need Jesus because he is God’s solution to the human race’s greatest problem: our sin. This is why the Bible says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Let me explain this by asking you a question: What do you think it is that separates us from God? Is it a lack of knowledge, or conflicting ideas about God, or perhaps a feeling that he doesn’t care? No, the real issue is far deeper than these. Only one thing separates us from God, and that is our sin. God is holy and pure, and even one sin, just one, would be enough to banish us from his presence.

How then can we be cleansed of our sins? We can’t do it on our own. No matter how hard we try, we’ll never be good enough to come into God’s presence. And that’s why we need Christ. He is the only person who ever lived who never sinned, because he was God in human flesh. And he came into the world for one reason: to take upon himself all our sins, and become the final and complete sacrifice for sin.

My prayer is that you will see yourself the way God sees you, as a sinner in desperate need of his forgiveness. But more than that, I pray you will see Jesus Christ, who gave his life for you and now offers you God’s forgiveness and hope. Why not put your life into his hands — beginning today?

Would you like to become a Christian? If the answer is yes.

Seek out a Pastor or another Christian
in a bible based church and ask them to lead you to Christ.

God will knock on the door of your heart, but notice there is no lock, so you must open the door,

and ask Him to come in to your Heart.

Jesus Christ shed his blood on a cross for you.

If I were to die tonight, I know that I would spend eternity with God in heaven without question. I know that because I understand his Word when it comes to salvation and the promise that Jesus has given to all of us, that true faith in him, leads us to salvation, and leads us to that place called heaven. You know, once upon a time I did have my doubts, but now there’s just absolutely no doubt that God has saved me from my sinfulness by the blood of Jesus Christ, and I will spend my time with Him in eternity.

If you are wondering about the question below, then read on!

Question: “How can I know for sure that I will go to Heaven when I die?”

Answer: Do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to Heaven when you die? God wants you to be sure! The Bible says: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” What would you say? You may not know what to reply. What you need to know is that God loves us and has provided a way that we can know for sure where we will spend eternity. The Bible states it this way: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

We have to first understand the problem that is keeping us from Heaven. The problem is this – our sinful nature keeps us from having a relationship with God. We are sinners by nature and by choice. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We cannot save ourselves. “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves – it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We deserve death and hell. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

God is holy and just and must punish sin, yet He loves us and has provided forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus died for us on the cross: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus was resurrected from the dead: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

So, back to the original question – “How can I know for sure that I will go to Heaven when I die?” The answer is this – believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). You can receive eternal life as a FREE gift. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You can live a full and meaningful life right now. Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). You can spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven, for He promised: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am” (John 14:3).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and receive forgiveness from God, here is prayer you can pray. Saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Jesus Christ that can provide forgiveness of sins. This prayer is a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your forgiveness. “God, I know that I have sinned against You and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness! Amen!”

It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be Me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the least whispered invitation that will allow Me to enter.

And I want you to know that whenever you invite Me, I do come – always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, and bringing the many gifts of My Spirit. I come with My mercy, with My desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension – a love every bit as great as the love I have received from the Father (“As much as the Father has loved me, I have loved you…” (John 15:10) I come – longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I bring you My light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with My power, that I might carry you and all your burdens; with My grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and My peace I give to still your soul.

I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you – even in your wanderings. I know every one of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you – not for what you have or haven’t done – I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power.



I know what is in your heart – I know your loneliness and all your hurts – the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations, I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory. I know especially your need for love – how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures – with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? “Come to Me all you who thirst…” (John 7:37). I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine – to the point of dying on a cross for you.



I Thirst for You. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe My love for you. I THIRST FOR YOU. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you – that is how precious you are to Me. I THIRST FOR YOU. Come to Me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials I THIRST FOR YOU. You must never doubt My mercy, My acceptance of you, My desire to forgive, My longing to bless you and live My life in you. I THIRST FOR YOU. If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For Me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I THIRST FOR YOU. Open to Me, come to Me, thirst for Me, give me your life – and I will prove to you how important you are to My Heart.

Don’t you realize that My Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in Me. Ask Me every day to enter and take charge of your life. – and I will. I promise you before My Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why would I do this? Because I THIRST FOR YOU. All I ask of you is that you entrust yourself to Me completely. I will do all the rest.

Even now I behold the place My Father has prepared for you in My Kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home. Sin can never satisfy you, or bring the peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of Me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to the things of this life. Above all, do not run from Me when you fall. Come to Me without delay. When you give Me your sins, you gave Me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal; so come now, and unburden your soul.

No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget Me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life; there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change. I THIRST FOR YOU – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My love that will change you. You forget Me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day – standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross, look at My Heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood My cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there – for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: “I THIRST…”(John 19:28). Yes, I thirst for you – as the rest of the psalm – verse I was praying says of Me: “I looked for love, and I found none…” (Psalm 69:20). All your life I have been looking for your love – I have never stopped seeking to love you and be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.

              

Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit. “No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU…”

“Jesus is God, therefore His love, His Thirst, is infinite. He is the creator of the universe, asked for the love of His creatures. He thirsts for our love… These words: ‘I Thirst’ –

Do they echo in our souls?”

Mother Teresa

Grandma, some eighty plus years, sat on her living room stool.  Earlier she didn’t move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.

When I sat down near her she didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat, I wondered if she was okay.  Finally, not really wanting disturb her, but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was okay.  She raised her head and looked at me and smiled.  Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking, she said in a clear strong voice.  I didn’t mean to disturb you, Grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands, and I wanted to make sure you were okay,

Have you ever looked at your hands, she asked.  I mean really looked at your hands?  I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them.  I turned them over, palms up and then palms down.  No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:  Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years.  These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled, and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.  They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.  They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.  As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.  They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.  They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.  They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.

They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.  Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.  They wrote my letters to him, and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.  They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand.  They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.  They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.  And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.  These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the mark of a rugged life.

More importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home.  With my hands, He will lift me to His side, and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.

I will never look at my hands the same again.  But I remember God reached out and took my Grandma’s hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of Grandma.  I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.  I too, want to touch the face of God, and feel His hands upon my face.  When you receive this, say a prayer for someone, and watch God’s answer to prayer work in your life.  Let’s continue praying for one another. Tell someone about this story or direct someone to this web page that you consider a friend so you both will be blessed.

Tell someone about this story or direct someone to this web page that is not yet considered a friend, because that is something Christ would do.

Jesus said,  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

He also told them a parable:  “Can a blind person guide a blind person?  Will not both fall into a pit?  A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.  Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”

My mother is 65 years old.  Every day she bustles in and out of the house doing chores from washing to cleaning to mopping to cooking for the family.  One day she accidentally dropped the blender while washing it, and the plastic container cracked.  It could not be used anymore.  I was angry with her because I use the blender every day.  I would have to spend money to buy a new one.  Without thinking, I scolded her for being careless; my words were harsh.

That evening before bed, the Lord spoke to me during my quiet time.  The message was, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31).  Too often we find ourselves ready to pass judgment on someone.  Why can’t we instead choose to see them through eyes of compassion and kindness as Christ did?  Christ always looked at people with compassion, and still does.

I was filled with remorse over how I had treated my mother earlier that day.  I asked God to forgive me.  Then I went to mother’s bedroom, hugged her, and told her I was sorry for shouting at her.  She forgave me, too.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to see others with kindness and compassion, as you do.  Teach us to be patient and forgiving toward others.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Dear Reader,

        God likes variety. That’s why He created each person as a unique individual. You are one of a kind, and the Lord has specific tasks He’s designed just for you. Knowing this, how to you think you should approach life? One option is to live spontaneously, going wherever life takes you without too much thought for the future. The problem with this method is that you may come to the end of your life and realize you’ve been on the wrong path and haven’t accomplished what God had in mind.

        Another approach is to set targets and pursue a course that will help you achieve them. Although this may sound like a better way to discover the Lord’s will for your life, you must consider whose plan you’re following. Is it God’s or yours? The goal is not just to be busy, but to live out the Lord’s purpose for your life. He’s willing to guide your into His plans if you’ll see to know and obey Him.

        One of the ways He helps us discover His path for our lives is by giving us talents, skills, and spiritual gifts that are perfectly suited to our callings. Talents and skills are natural abilities with which we are born. These generally determine our interests and vocations. In contrast, spiritual gifts are divine endowments that equip us to serve the Lord effectively and successfully. They are chosen for us by God and given to us at the moment of our salvation. Knowing how to Lord has created and gifted us helps us discover what He desires for us to do. You’ll find lists of the various spiritual gifts in: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:11-12;

1 Peter 4:10-11.

Romans 12:4-8

⁴Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
⁵so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
⁶In his grace, God has given us different ^agifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
⁷If your gift is ^bserving others, ^bserve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.
⁸If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give ^cgenerously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28

⁴There are different kinds of spiritual^g gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
⁵There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.
⁶God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
⁷A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
⁸To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
⁹The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
¹⁰He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown ^hlanguages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being ^hsaid.
¹¹It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

²⁸Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the ^jchurch:

first are ^kapostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles,

those who have the ^agift of healing,

those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership,

those who speak in unknown languages.

 
Ephesians 4:11-12

¹¹Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the ^hapostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the ⁱpastors and teachers.
¹²Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his ^jwork and build up the church, the body of Christ.

1 Peter 4:10-11

¹⁰God has given each of you a ^cgift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
¹¹Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

If you’re not sure which one may be yours, consider what motivates you.

Knowing and understanding the different spiritual gifts not only aids us in determining how God would have us serve in the church, but it also helps us accept and value how He has gifted others. With this in mind, let’s consider several facts regarding spiritual gifts.   First of all, every believer has at least one spiritual gift

(1 Corinthians 12:11) A simple way to discover yours is to examine how you respond to situations or need. For example, suppose I invite several people to my house for dinner, and in the middle of the meal, I knock over my iced tea. The person with mercy immediately feels my discomfort and rushes to reassure me. The guest gifted with giving offers to buy a new glass to replace the one I broke. Someone with the gift of administration organizes the cleanup, and the exhorter suggests that in the future I place my glass further away from the edge of the table. They each respond differently, but together they work as a whole to address the situation and solve the problem.

Second, spiritual gifts are given to us for the common good of the church. They are not for us, but for others. As we work according to our own unique giftedness, the church benefits (1 Corinthians 12:7). That’s why Peter admonishes us to employ our spiritual gifts in serving one another (1 Peter 4:10). When we actively use them to help others, we’ll effectively accomplish what God created us to do.

Third, we are to serve one another in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:11). Our spiritual gifts don’t originate with us and are not to be used in our own strength or for selfish purposes. If Christ’s desciples couldn’t accomplish the assignment He gave them without the Holy Spirit empowerment, neither can we. But as He guides, trains, and equips us, God’s work is accomplished through us.

Fourth, always remember that the work is the Lord’s, and we are stewards of the spiritual gifts He entrusts to us (1 Peter 4:10). God has chosen to accomplish His work on earth through the church as we each employ our gifts. No matter how little we think we have to offer, the Lord wants us to make ourselves available to Him for service. We should never underestimate what He can do in our lives. He has the power to open doors of opportunity and provide all the resources we need to succeed. As the Spirit moves in our hearts to reveal needs and empowers us to respond according to the gifts He has given us, we accomplish His will.

I’d like you to consider how precious your spiritual gifting is. Your gifts were specially chosen for you by the Lord. But like any gift, they must be opened and used in order to benefit from them. Nothing will give you a greater sense of community and purpose than investing yourself in God’s work for the good of others.

                                                        Prayerfully yours,

                                                        Charles F. Stanley

PS: September is a wonderful time for new beginnings. As activities pick up after the slower days of summer, it’s time to set priorities and goals. Here at In Touch, we truly appreciate the privilege to minister to you, and we pray that the Lord will equip and strengthen you to joyfully serve Him. If you’re not certain where your spiritual gifts lie, I encourage you to pray that the Lord would reveal them to you. You may also find it beneficial to discuss the matter with your local pastor.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul asks the Corinthian believers a question: “Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” We might find this phrase, “Jesus Christ is in you” surprising, or perhaps we just read over it without thinking too much about its significance. But what does this phrase mean? And what is its importance for our Christian lives today?

In saying, “Jesus Christ is in you,” Paul wasn’t speaking poetically or metaphorically. He truly meant that Jesus Christ is literally, practically dwelling within the believers. Many other verses in the Word of God confirm the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ actually dwells in His believers.

We too, like the Corinthians, need to realize this fact about ourselves. Christ is not merely outside of us, a Helper in our time of need, but He dwells in us, living in and with us all the time.

How can Christ be in us?

Christ is the holy God incarnated as a man, and we are fallen sinners. So how can Christ live in us? To accomplish His desire to dwell within mankind, God took some tremendous steps. First, God Himself became a man named Jesus Christ. This man, Jesus, lived a genuine human life on this earth, yet without sin. In His living, His actions, and His speaking, He fully expressed God.

After living and experiencing everything of human life for thirty-three and a half years, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Through His redemptive death, we can be forgiven of our sins and brought back to God. But this is not all. After three days He rose in victory from the dead, and in resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit. As the Spirit, He is available to everyone and will enter anyone who believes into Him. Thus, when we pray to receive the Lord Jesus, God actually comes to live within us today.

8 verses that reveal Christ is in us

Although many verses reveal the wonderful truth that Christ is in His believers, we’ll highlight just eight here.

1. “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness.”—Romans 8:10

We human beings were created by God with a body on the outside and a soul and spirit on the inside. Our spirit is our deepest part, created to contact and receive the Spirit of God. When we received Jesus as our Savior, He cleansed us of our sins and He came into our spirit as life. Thus, because Christ is in us, our “spirit is life because of righteousness.”

2. “Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.”—2 Corinthians 4:6-7

The apostle Paul describes the believers as earthen vessels that contain “this treasure.” What is this treasure? It is Jesus Christ, in whose face we see the glory of God. Christ lives in us earthen vessels as a precious treasure, revealing to us the glory of God from within.

3. “But when it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me.”—Galatians 1:15-16

We might think this verse should read, “It pleased God…to reveal His Son to me.” But in the original language of the New Testament, Greek, the verse reads “to reveal His Son in me.” God’s plan is to reveal His Son in us, from within, rather than to us, from without. Or, to put it another way, God reveals Christ to us from within us. To those who have Christ in us, God is pleased to reveal in us more of the wonderful Person of Christ.

4. “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”—Galatians 2:20

Here, Paul did not say “I live in a Christ-like way,” or, “I glorify Christ through my behavior.” No, he said, “Christ…lives in me,” clearly telling us that Christ lives in His believers. The Christian life is not a matter of behaving like Christ, but of allowing Christ Himself to live in and through us.

5. “My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you.”—Galatians 4:19

Paul viewed the believers in Galatia as his spiritual children. He had labored to help them receive Christ at their salvation, and in this verse, he continues to labor on them so that the Christ they received would be fully formed in them. Christ lives in us from the time we are saved, but He wants to be formed in us in a definite way. Day by day, we need to give Him the opportunity to be formed in us. As we do, Christ will be able to express Himself more fully through us in our daily life.

6. “That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith.”—Ephesians 3:17

When we believed into Christ, He came to live in our spirit, the deepest part of our being. But Christ also wants to make His home in the rest of our inward being: our hearts and our souls. By living in our spirit, Christ is the new source of our new life. But our soul—our mind, emotion, and will—can still choose to ignore Him as our new source and go on just as before. In this case, Christ is in us, but He’s limited in us, kept only in our spirit. So He cannot be expressed through us very much. The Lord Jesus wants to make His home not only in our spirit, but also in all the parts of our soul.

7. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”—Colossians 1:27

This verse shows that Christ is in us in a particular way: as our hope of glory. When we believed in Him, Christ came to live in our spirit. Now He is making His home in our hearts. In the future, when He returns, He will even spread to our body outwardly so that God’s glory can shine through us in a full way. The Christ who lives in us is our hope of such glory.

8. “When He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed.”—2 Thessalonians 1:10

Christ’s second coming will surely be a marvel. But according to this verse, the most marvelous thing will not be the outward display of His coming; it will be His glory revealed from within His believers. The Christ in us, who lives in us and is being formed in us, will be revealed from within us, and even our bodies will be transformed to match Him.

What a glory to God, a marvel to man, and a shame to the devil, that people on this earth would choose to receive Christ and allow Him to grow in them and express Himself through them throughout their lives!

Seeing in God’s Word that Christ lives in us

A short summary of the book of James 3     

No one can tame the tongue. With it we bless our Father and with it we curse others. The wisdom from above is pure and peace-loving.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3

¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
²We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,
⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.
¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
¹⁵Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

1) To appreciate the power and danger of the tongue

2) To understand the difference between heavenly wisdom, and that which is earthly, sensual, and demonic

SUMMARY

James begins this chapter with a caution against many becoming teachers. In view of the stricter judgment that awaits teachers, one should be sure they possess the maturity and self-control necessary to control the tongue. James then provides a series of illustrations to demonstrate the power and danger of the tongue, and how we can easily be inconsistent in our use of it (1-12).

Perhaps some sought to be teachers so as to appear wise. Yet James writes that wisdom and understanding are to be shown by one’s conduct, done in meekness. He then defines and contrasts the difference between two kinds of wisdom. There is wisdom which is earthly that causes confusion and every evil thing. On the other hand, there is wisdom which is heavenly that produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness (13-18).

I. TRUE RELIGION CONTROLS THE TONGUE (1-12)

A. A CAUTION AGAINST BECOMING TEACHERS (1-2)     1. Teachers shall receive a stricter judgment

    2. Maturity and self-control are required not to stumble in word

B. THE POWER OF THE TONGUE (3-4)     1. Like a bit which controls the horse

    2. Like a small rudder which directs the ship

C. THE DANGER OF THE TONGUE (5-6)     1. A little member which boasts great things     2. Like a little fire which kindles a great forest fire     3. Indeed, the tongue can be a fire, a world of iniquity         a. Capable of defiling the whole body

        b. Capable of setting on fire the course of nature, being set on fire by hell

D. THE DIFFICULTY OF TAMING THE TONGUE (7-12)     1. Man can control creatures of land and sea, but not the tongue     2. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison     3. With it we bless God, and then curse man made in His image         a. Thus blessing and cursing proceed from the same mouth         b. Something which should not be so     1) For no spring sends forth both fresh and salt water

    2) Neither does a fig tree bear olives, nor a grapevine bear figs

II. TRUE RELIGION DISPLAYS HEAVENLY WISDOM (13-18)

A. THE TRUE DISPLAY OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING (13)     1. To be seen in one’s conduct

    2. With works done in meekness

B. THE DISPLAY OF EARTHLY WISDOM (14-16)     1. Full of bitter envy, self-seeking, boasting and lying     2. A wisdom not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic

    3. Producing confusion and every evil thing

C. THE DISPLAY OF HEAVENLY WISDOM (17-18)     1. Wisdom from above is first pure, then it is…         a. Peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits         b. Without partiality and without hypocrisy

2. The fruit of righteousness is produced by peacemakers who sow in peace

1) What are the main points of this chapter?     – True religion controls the tongue (1-12)

    – True religion displays heavenly wisdom (13-18)

2) Why does James caution against many becoming teachers? (1)
    – Teachers shall receive a stricter judgment

3) What is one indication of maturity and self-control? (2)
    – The ability to bridle the tongue

4) What two illustrations does James use to show the power of the tongue? (3-4)     – Like a bit which controls the horse
    – Like a rudder which controls the ship

5) What illustration is used to show the danger of the tongue? (5)
    – Like a small fire which kindles a large forest fire

6) How does James describe the tongue? (6-8)     – A fire, a world of iniquity     – Set among our members that it defiles the whole body     – Sets on fire the course of nature, being set on fire by hell     – That which no man can tame

    – An unruly evil, full of deadly poison

7) What example does James use to show how the tongue is misused? (9-10)
    – Blessing God and cursing man who is made in His image

8) What illustrations does James provide to show the incongruity of such speech? (11-12)     – A spring does not send forth both fresh and salt (bitter) water

    – A fig tree does not bear olives, nor a grapevine bear figs

9) How is the wise and understanding person to manifest himself? (13)
    – By good conduct done in meekness

10) What characterizes wisdom that does not descend from above? (14)
    – Bitter envy and self-seeking, boasting and lying against the truth

11) What is the source of such wisdom? (15)
    – It is earthly, sensual, and demonic

12) What exists when there is envy and self-seeking? (16)
    – Confusion and every evil thing

13) What are the qualities of wisdom that is from above? (17)     – It is first pure     – Then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,

      without partiality and without hypocrisy

14) Who produces the fruit of righteousness? (18)
    – Peacemakers who sow in peace

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus made a decision that would forever change His destiny and ours. He chose not to abandon us and return to heaven, but to remain and be pierced at the cross, so that He could be with us and serve us forever.

Jesus is fully God (John 1:1–3, 14), but He came to earth as Man. The Bible says that “being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. (Philippians 2:8, KJV) He left His divine privileges and powers in heaven, and became Man. This means that, like any other human being, He had sentiments, affections and feelings.

If Jesus had come only as God, then He would not have been able to die on the cross for our sins because God cannot die. But man is mortal. So He came as Man and suffered as Man. The blood, sweat and tears were real. The pain was real. The death was real.

We see His suffering when He prayed so desperately in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) But there is a spiritual suffering here which we sometimes do not see.

There was a spiritual cup offered to Him. And in that cup lay all our sins and curses. All our filth was in that cup. And to drink that cup meant that He would be separated from His Father, whom He loves.

Up to that time, Jesus had never been separated from His Father. The reason He could do all kinds of miracles when He walked the earth was that His Father was with Him—”My Father has been working until now, and I have been working…Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”(John 5:17, 19) Every time He mentioned the Father, He found strength and comfort.

So Jesus was given a choice—to drink the cup of our sins or to go home to heaven. If He rejected the cup, His Father would bring Him home, and the whole world would literally go to hell, because of sin.

But Jesus loved us so much that He stayed. He drank the cup of our sins to the very last dregs. He went all the way for us—all the way to the cross.

There is a very beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us hidden in the law of the Hebrew servant. After God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, He gave a law concerning servants.

Exodus 21:2–6
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

When a Hebrew servant has served his master for six years, he is free to leave in the seventh year. If he is married with children because his master has given him a wife, he cannot bring his wife and children along when he leaves. His wife and children would belong to the master. That was the law then.

But if the servant says, “I do not want to go out free even though it is my right to do so because I love my master, wife and children,”the master will then bring him to the judges of Israel. The master will take a sharp instrument and pierce the servant’s earlobe. And this will be done at a doorpost. His blood will be shed and some of it will be left on the doorpost too.

From then on, the servant will have a hole in his earlobe and something will be put there to keep the hole open. His pierced ear serves as a sign to others that He is now a slave by choice. He could have gone out free, but he chose to stay because he loves his master, wife and children. And he will be with them forever because “he shall serve him [his master] forever”!

Now, do you think that a Hebrew servant would give up his chance to be free after six years of service? Perhaps, but I do not think that a servant would say “I love my master” first, before expressing his love for his wife and children. Obviously, the Holy Spirit had someone in mind when He mentioned this law in Exodus 21. Who do you think this person is? Jesus, of course! Don’t the Old Testament laws become beautiful when you see Jesus in them?

So at the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus the perfect Servant did not choose to go out free but stayed on earth because He loved His Father and He loved His bride, the church. And because of that, He was later scourged and pierced by a crown of thorns, nails and a Roman soldier’s spear. Today, the only man-made things in heaven are those scars in His hands, side and feet. They will remain forever as a sign of His love for us. And when we see them, we will be reminded of how much He loves us. He did not have to, but He chose to.

As a Man, Jesus definitely felt the physical pain of the scourging, thorns and nails. But His greatest suffering as I mentioned, was separation from His Father.

At the cross, He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) God turned His back on Him. At the time when He needed His Father the most, His Father had to turn His back on Him. Do you know why? Because if God did not turn His back on Jesus, He would have to turn His back on you! Jesus took your place so that you can take His place, where God’s face is always smiling on you.

Today, we have God’s face smiling on us all the time. The countenance of God is shining on you and your family. That is why I can say to you, “The Lord make His face shine on you.”(Numbers 6:25) Jesus paid the price so that God would always smile on you, and never leave you nor forsake you.

God turned His back on His Son because He had to punish Him for our sins. He is the judge of the universe. But as Father, I believe He wept. That is why in the movie, The Passion Of The Christ, there is this part where a teardrop falls from heaven—I love that scene!

The Bible itself says that Jesus’ sacrifice was a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father. (Ephesians 5:2) Yes, as God and judge, God had to turn His back on His Son because His eyes are too pure to behold evil and sin. (Habakkuk 1:13) But as Father, His heart was broken because Christ was never more pleasing to Him than at that time. Do you remember what Jesus said? “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17–18)

Those of you with children love your children all the time. But sometimes, your child will do something special out of love for you, and it touches your heart so much that you want to just hug him.

God felt the same way about His Son when He was on the cross. But He could not embrace His Son even when Jesus cried out to Him. As the Judge of the universe, He had to turn His back and allow His Son to be punished to the full for our sins.

Parents, if your child is suffering, even though he brought it upon himself, it makes you want to cry, doesn’t it? It makes you want to help your child. How much more if your child is innocent! Jesus was innocent. He knew no sin. He did no sin. And in Him was no sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Yet, He suffered and died for our sins because He loved His Father and He loved us.

In the scourging scene in the same movie, Jesus stood up again after the first round of scourging. If you watch the scene, you will feel like saying, “Stay down! Stay down!”Because by standing up, He made the Roman soldiers angrier and they changed their whips to those with hooks to inflict more pain. According to historical studies of Roman scourgings, these hooks go right into the victim’s flesh, and rip pieces of flesh from the body!

And Jesus was probably not scourged 39 times according to the Jewish law of 40 stripes minus one. (Deuteronomy 25:3; 2 Corinthians 11:24) The Roman soldiers who carried out the scourging hated Jews and would not have observed their law.

We do not know how many times Jesus was whipped, but it was enough to expose the bones on His back! In Psalm 129:3, it says, “The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.”In Psalm 22:17, it says, “I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.” You don’t see that in the movie, so actually, the movie is still not that violent.

The Bible also says that “by His stripes we are healed”. (Isaiah 53:5) Jesus took every one of those painful lashes because He had to pay the full price for our health. By those stripes, your cancer died. By those stripes, your child’s asthma died. By those stripes, we are made whole and strong!

Some people think that God has mood swings. If He is in a good mood today, He will heal you. If He is in a bad mood, He will not heal you. How can you put your faith in a God of moods? No, God is a God of His Word. He will heal you because His Son has paid the price for your healing. And His Son’s work is perfect.

Jesus the perfect Servant said, “I love My Master. I love My wife. I will not go out free.” That is what He decided in the Garden of Gethsemane. But “I will not go out free” meant that He had to pay the price.

So it is a sin to believe that you still have unforgiven sins. If you believe that, you are saying, “Eh, Jesus, You suffered, yes, but it is not enough. I know You cried ‘It is finished,’ but in my case, it is not really finished.”

I love what my wife told me after she saw the movie and all the suffering that Jesus went through. She said, “How can anyone, after watching the show, say that their sins have not been completely forgiven?”

The greatest insult to Christ is to believe that your sins are still not forgiven. That is why I am a strong preacher of the truth that your entire lifetime of sins has been paid for because that is what His sufferings have accomplished for us. He took the fullness of the punishment so that you can enjoy the fullness of forgiveness. You are forgiven completely of an entire lifetime of sins!

When Jesus chose not to go out free, but to remain and be pierced at the cross, what did it mean? It meant that Jesus, though fully God, chose to remain a Man and our Servant forever!

That might shock some religious people. But in heaven today, Jesus is forever a Man and forever our Servant. It was His choice. He said one time, “I did not come to be served. I came to serve.” (Matthew 20:28)

“Pastor Prince, how can you say that? Jesus is Lord. He is God.” Yes, He is all that. But He is also our Servant. And it is pride not to allow Him to serve us. When Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, Jesus said, “If I do not wash your feet, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:8)

We want to minister to the Lord. We want to give to the Lord. We want to do things for the Lord. We want to build great things for the Lord. We want to be contributors to the Lord. But we can give nothing because we are all bankrupt spiritually. What can we give, except that which we have received from Him? So the greatest thing you can do is to receive from Him.

One of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus said of himself and the other thief, “We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then, he turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:40–42)

In the movie, when Jesus turned His face to look at the thief, I saw something. In the midst of all His suffering, somebody brought refreshment to His heart. Somebody still asked something of Him. And He was so pleased that He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) That dying thief refreshed Jesus’ heart when he put himself under the fountain of His blood.

Beloved, what “strengthens”our Savior? What “refreshes” Him, if I may use such language? It is when He is able to give to a sinner, when He can find someone who is willing to receive from Him. That refreshes Him because He loves to serve. It is the nature of His heart of love to serve. And we are the objects of His love.

He remains a Servant forever by choice. Yes, He is all glorious. But even though He has been gloriously resurrected, He is a resurrected Man with affections and feelings like you and I, and that is why He knows how you feel, and wants to serve you. So if you are sick, come to Him and say, “Lord, I need Your service.” That is what refreshes His heart today.

I do not know if there were any Hebrew servants who chose not to go out free in Bible times. But let’s suppose that there was one. Now, imagine that after he and his wife have fallen asleep, his wife wakes up in the middle of the night. She looks at her husband and remembers that years ago, he could have gone out free, leaving her and their children behind, but he chose not to. And as he is sleeping there beside her, she sees his pierced ear–a symbol of his love for her forever.

Beloved, in heaven one day, we will see Jesus’ wounds. And we will remember that He did not have to remain and be pierced for our sins, but He chose to, because He loves us!